Mate in 2
Chess Puzzle No. 293: Can White punish this rook recapture right away?
19
Oct
Oct
In February 2023, during a 3+0 blitz game between players rated around 2400, Black just played Rxd6 on move 37 of a Sicilian Defence, Alapin Variation, Smith-Morra Declined. White to play: it's your turn to find the continuation.
Mate in 2EasyWhite to play
White to play and mate in 2
Puzzle: Lichess open database (CC0) · Pieces: Cburnett, Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)
See the solution explained
Qxf7+ captures a pawn and checks the black king, leaving only one legal reply.
Kh8 is therefore forced, as the king steps back into the corner.
Qxh7# captures another pawn and delivers checkmate: the black king on h8 is in check and cannot escape it.
In the real game, the solver did find Qxf7+, but didn't complete the whole combination: the opponent resigned before the sequence continued, handing over the win regardless. Takeaway: a double pawn sacrifice with consecutive checks can corner a king in just two moves.
This 3+0 blitz game is a reminder of how popular fast time controls are, a legacy of the mechanical chess clocks introduced in the 19th century to limit game length. Players who enjoy training at this pace often complete their set-up with a complete chess set with board or a fine wood chess board.
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